James Sutherland Smith's poems draw on his experiences of life in the Middle East and Middle Europe; what is most strange, they tell us, is to be found not in the exoticism of remote locales, but close to home. His language ventures into foreign and domestic places, into nature, politics, and the self-discoveries and self-deceptions of sexuality. A poem may begin as a purposeful quest but find its meaning in falling by the wayside. It may set out in full possession of its wits and end the journey distracted and unsure. All the poems are marked by a fascination with appropriate language and...
James Sutherland Smith's poems draw on his experiences of life in the Middle East and Middle Europe; what is most strange, they tell us, is to be foun...
"This is a masterpiece. The love poetry is especially beautiful. The entire sequence is in a way a love poem (and therefore must include some hate). The poem is a fine discourse on language, especially poetic language, and on simple speech aspiring to truth while aware that this is an ideal forever double-crossed by the duplicity of words in the human mouth." -Irving Weinman
"This is a masterpiece. The love poetry is especially beautiful. The entire sequence is in a way a love poem (and therefore must include some hate). T...
